


if this is it (go out with a bang)

by fourteentimes



Series: still turning out [2]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25787233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fourteentimes/pseuds/fourteentimes
Summary: “Not quite as exciting as a festival. What a shame. I’ve never been,” Eichi whispers. Like it’s a secret. Like it’s for Leo’s ears only.“You’d probably have a heart attack and die or something. Completely counterproductive to your plans to take over the idol industry. They’re fun, though.”(or: Eichi is laid up in bed, and Leo cares about it. And him.)
Relationships: Tenshouin Eichi/Tsukinaga Leo
Series: still turning out [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870684
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	if this is it (go out with a bang)

**Author's Note:**

> title is from explode by patrick stump, which is perhaps a bit on the nose, but what can you do
> 
> written for the prompt eileo & fireworks & stay for me

What is he doing here? 

“Hah, this is pretty sad, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t it?” Leave it to Eichi to always be far too cheerful about his own terrible circumstances. “Just the worst.” 

Leo makes a noise of derision, tugging the door shut behind him. “Maybe not that bad, but still pretty awful. You know, I think I still hate it here.” 

“And yet.”

Leo slinks past the bed, watching the way the sun colors the horizon as it sets. The view doesn’t make his heart twist the same way it does when he looks at Eichi. Somewhere, further towards the edges of the city, Knights will be meeting up and wondering where he slipped off to. His sister will be getting helped into her yukata for the festival this evening. Madara will probably even be around for once. He loves festivals. 

And Leo is here. 

“I heard from Keito,” Leo says to the window and the sky and the setting sun. “That you collapsed and got sent here again because you were doing your usual blockhead thing.” 

Eichi hums. “I don’t think I’d quite qualify doing my job as my ‘usual blockhead thing’. Keito already visited this morning, and as you can see, I’m quite well. I wonder--” 

“Shut up.” Leo squeezes his eyes shut as he lets his head rest against the window. The glass is summer-warm and does nothing to stop the flush he can feel in his face. “I wasn’t.” 

“You don’t even know what I was going to say, Tsukinaga-kun,” Eichi says. 

Leo exhales once, twice, to get the riotous, roiling feeling in his chest under control. It doesn’t help. But it does clear enough of the chaos in his head that he can actually face him. “You’re the worst, you know that?” 

Bad. A bad choice, because he still feels like something in his chest is going to twist and crack open, seeing Eichi wan and pale and weak. Leo jostles him too much when he worms his way onto the tiny hospital bed, just on this side of too small for the both of them. There are too many wires that Leo rolls over trying to turn to the railing so Eichi can get his arms around him, but none of the alarms go off so it’s probably okay. 

“You do so enjoy reminding me of that fact.” Eichi sounds indulgent as his fingers slip through Leo’s hair until it’s free from his ponytail. Eichi’s hands are delicate and bony and thin. Perfect for working through the tangles. “I’m starting to wonder if that’s maybe not how you really feel, though, Tsukinaga-kun~”

“Maybe I wouldn’t say it if you didn’t do stu~pid things like pass out at your desk in the middle of the day,” Leo grumbles. “I didn’t even have to ask Keito about it. He just started  _ complaining _ about you.” 

“Wo~ow, that bad, huh?” Eichi hooks his chin over Leo’s shoulder. It’s bony. Leo makes no move to stop him. 

“Right? He just went on and on about it, I didn’t even get the chance to say anything,” Leo grumbles. Eichi’s feet are cold when the press against his legs. He’s always cold. Like a lizard. Leo’s third favorite kind of lizard. “He looked really tired. You should pass out in a bed next time.” 

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Eichi says, but he totally doesn’t sound like he’s going to. “What’s done is done, of course. It’s much harder to plan for these things than you’d think.” 

“I’m sure,” Leo says, “for a normal person. But you’re the stupid emperor, so figure it out next time.” 

“Of course, of course.” Eichi presses his nose to Leo’s neck. The lightest brush of his hair makes Leo squirm, but there’s not exactly anywhere else he can go. The hospital blanket tangles around them. “For you, my little king.” 

“I’m not even that little,” Leo grumbles. He relaxes into the kiss Eichi presses to his shoulder. The sun paints the longest shadows as it sets. 

He breathes, and he can feel Eichi’s too-thin chest breathing with him. The world narrows to this room, this quiet moment, and them. A melody reaches out to him--something high and thin and beautiful, something Tsukasa would hate trying to learn, but would get pushed into singing anyways--plays. It’s in his head, maybe. Or in his hands, fidgeting across the mattress like it’s a piano. Or he hums it out loud, and Eichi sings it back to him because Eichi never forgets the music Leo plays for him. 

“Stay for me?” Eichi asks quietly as the shadows stretch into night, and the sky goes inky black. It’s a good line. Maybe he’ll remember to ask Izumi to use it. 

“Might as well,” Leo says. He can feel the puff of laughter and the way his arms tighten around Leo’s stomach. “I’m comfortable, I guess.” 

“Not quite as exciting as a festival. What a shame. I’ve never been,” Eichi whispers. Like it’s a secret. Like it’s for Leo’s ears only.

“You’d probably have a heart attack and die or something.” Leo turns over. Just enough that he can make out Eichi’s face in the darkness. He doesn’t look so sick like this, close enough that it feels like they’re breathing the same breath. “Completely counterproductive to your plans to take over the idol industry. They’re fun, though.” 

“Take me next year.” 

“If you have a heart attack, I’m not helping you.” 

“It’d probably be better if you didn’t.” 

Leo snorts. He’s right. He’s right, which is the worst, because he’s smug when he’s right. He twines their fingers together anyways, even though Eichi’s saying stupid shit and doesn’t deserve it. 

“Just get better and we’ll go tomorrow,” he says and gets a kiss on the forehead for his troubles. 

“Let’s watch the fireworks then, promise.” Eichi twists their pinky fingers together under the covers. “Promise I won’t have a heart attack for you.” 

“Guess I’ll take care of you just a little, since you’re so bad at doing it yourself.”

They kiss, and Eichi’s lips are dry, and Leo’s are cracked, but the warmth still explodes in his chest anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow my writing twitter [@satiIIquinart](https://twitter.com/satiIIquinart) for updates!


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